18 April 2026 - Saturday Squiz

May you go into the weekend feeling as excited as NASA astronaut Christina Koch and her dog were to be reunited… This weekend, if you’re on a first-name basis with your barista, getting ready to move houses (ugh the worst…), or have anything else you’d like to share, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 8 minutes

🎧 Listen to the Weekly Wrap with Claire Kimball and Eliza Harvey

This week’s top 5 news stories

The week’s most mentioned news stories in Australia across TV, radio and print, according to media analytics firm Streem.

1. A blockade of a blockade… - The US has started a naval blockade of ships entering or leaving Iranian ports… Iran had been letting some allies through the Strait of Hormuz if they paid hefty tolls, and exporting its own oil to the (very few) countries that haven’t sanctioned it. And as we start today, Iran says the Strait is “completely open”, but US President Donald Trump says the blockade continues…

2. Pakistan pushed for peace - Although talks hosted in Pakistan fell through last weekend, President Trump reckons talks could resume in the coming days with the current ceasefire expiring on Wednesday next week.

3. Israel and Lebanon strike a deal - A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect yesterday morning, which is a huge development in this conflict. The Lebanese-based/Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah said it will “cautiously adhere” to the agreement, but it’s a fragile…

4. Trump v Leo - The Pope’s call to end war made the US President pretty cranky this week - Trump says the leader of the Catholic Church is “terrible for Foreign Policy”… Trump also shared an AI image of himself as a Jesus-like figure, which he removed after criticism from Christians - he says the image depicted him as a doctor.

5. And Jim Chalmers goes to Washington - That was for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meeting alongside his political counterparts and central bankers from around the world. To coincide with the gathering, the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook modelled the economic impact of conflict in the Middle East, and it’s not good…

It’s you against the news…

Reckon you know which Aussie reality show Meghan Markle will feature on? Test your news knowledge from the last week with the Squiz Quiz.

Pic of the week

Bieberchella (aka Justin Bieber’s headline Coachella performance) last weekend had the people divided… He played some of his old hits karaoke style with YouTube in the background, and let’s just say people had views on whether that was concert-worthy… He’ll be taking it from the top again today for the second weekend of the huge festival. Love him or hate him, the Biebs gets people talking…

Spreadsheet? Never heard of her...

If you've ever tried to organise a group gift for someone, you'll know the feeling of an awkward cash collection... GroupTogether helps to avoid that with their eGift Cards. Whether it’s for friends' birthdays, client sweeteners, or school teacher thank yous - just upload a list of everyone chipping in, personalise your messages, and hit send on a gift card that can be used at more than 100 retailers. Check it out here…

In the Kitchen

You might not expect a fantastic bolognese recipe to come from a metalhead comedian, but Nat’s What I Reckon’s End of Days Bolognese recipe is a cracker. We’d be lying if we said it was quick, but it’s rich and comforting, and he has some genuinely helpful, albeit surprising, tips like adding milk… Trust us, it’s good)

What we Shortcut for you this week

How civil and criminal courts differ - We hear about big court cases in the news all the time - but when it comes to civil and criminal cases, the 2 systems have very different standards of proof that have to be met. It can be confusing, so in this Shortcut we’ll make sense of it for you. Read that here or listen up.

A history of fuel rationing in Oz - The Albanese Government has launched an advertising campaign encouraging Australians to use less fuel. It’s part of an attempt to avoid fuel rationing - something we haven’t had to do since the 1970s. If you want to know how we’ve dealt with fuel shortages in the past, this is the Shortcut for you… Read here or listen to the pod here.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - NBA (US men’s basketball) playoffs begin in the US. And Coachella weekend 2 kicks off - once more from the top…

Sunday - And NHL (US men’s ice hockey) playoffs for the Stanley Cup begin… Pucci is holding its Spring-Summer 2026 runway show in Sicily - how do you cop an invite to that… And WrestleMania 42 is on in Vegas from 8am, you can watch it on Netflix. There’s something for everyone…

Monday - A few notable court cases begin today… At 9am the trial begins for Charlotte MacInnes' defamation case against Rebel Wilson in the Federal Court. And at 10.15am, the ACCC’s case against Woolworths for misleading customers begins, also in the Federal Court.

Tuesday - The 2-week ceasefire between the US and Iran is ticking down - there is lots of uncertainty about what replaces it, so watch this space…

Wednesday - It’s day one of 3 in the first public hearing on the Select Committee on Productivity in Australia - that’s in Canberra. And the controversial Michael Jackson biopic Michael is released in Australian theatres…

Thursday - It’s day one of the Wheelchair Rugby World Challenge at the State Basketball Centre in Adelaide - watch it on Kayo. The NFL (US men’s football) draft begins in the US today, and it’s World Book and Copyright Day.

Friday - And radio starts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson are set to appear in court for case management hearings in their 2 seperate cases against their former employer ARN - that’ll be at the Federal Court in Sydney. Sounds like an awkward run-in…

*Times in AEDT